Fire Departments get funds

COLLEGE STATION Texas Forest Service is delivering a little holiday cheer to more than 900 Texas fire departments. Through a legislative grant, TFS is distributing $5.7 million to departments that helped fight wildfires during the 2005-'06 wildfire season.

Texas Forest Service communications manager Linda Moon said Odessa Fire Department is due $9,220.

House Bill 15 of the 80th Texas Legislature provided funds to help pay for the cost of fighting wildfires statewide between Dec. 1, 2005, and Sept. 18, 2006. A portion of these funds were designated to help local fire departments recover some of the expenses incurred during that time period.

John Alvarez, assistant chief of Emergency Medical Services in Odessa, said he helped provide "mutual lay" to the Panhandle during the 2005-2006 wildfires when he was the emergency coordinator. He said the cost to the Odessa Fire Department came out of its funds.

"It's kind of a surprise," Alvarez said of the grant money.

He applied for a reimbursement in the past and didn't receive the full payment. Disappointed, he didn't expect anymore to come in.

Some local fire departments like Odessa already received reimbursements from FEMA for the period of time that Texas was under a Presidential Emergency Declaration.

Texas Forest Service's role in this reimbursement process is to verify fire reports and to distribute the payments to the fire departments. Expenses eligible for reimbursement were reported and determined through the Texas Forest Service Fire Reporting System.

House Bill 15 provided for the recovery of fire department expenses that were not already covered by FEMA or TFS emergency grants.

Area Fire departments receiving reimbursements

Alpine VFD, Andrews VFD, Big Lake FD, Big Lake VFD, City of Midland FD, Davis Mountains Property Owners VFD Inc., Fort Davis VFD Inc., Fort Stockton VFD, Gardendale VFD, Howard County VFD, Irion County VFD, Kermit VFD, Lamesa Fire Dept., Marathon VFD, Marfa VFD, McDonald Observatory, Midland County Fire Marshal, Monahans, Odessa Fire Dept., Pecos VFD, Seminole Fire Dept., Terlingua Fire & EMS, Terrell VFD, Wickett VFD and Wink VFD.